Yet, though they may not admit it, the most exciting view of the day for a lot of hikers is a quiet cluster of little white canvas bungalows at the end of a long hike. There is an option of just eating meals at the camps. Kenny Karst/DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite Inc. Together they have some close calls with lightning, climb the highest mountain in the … This 72 mile … Here is an official ov… At additional cost, hikers can arrange a saddle trip or guided hike. The next day catch the first Sequoia Shuttle ($15) and use the free in park shuttles to pick up your permit from Lodgepole Visitor Center before starting your hike. “It worked best if I moved really slow and walked like a duck,” he said. Sign up with your email address to receive occasional updates of new blog posts. History of the High Sierra Trail – The High Sierra Trail is a spectacular 72 mile trek across the famed Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, arguably the finest mountain scenery in the … The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. To redeem offer at checkout, enter the listed code, or, if offer indicates that no code … Beginning at Crescent Meadow, follow the paved path briefly until the High Sierra Trail … For those who can’t get along without their lounge chairs, a box of books, an artist’s easel or a case of wine, there is the option of hiring mules. Because we went so late in the season (second to last week in September), the Sequoia Shuttle had already stopped running for the season, so we decided to set up a car shuttle even though it would mean more driving on our part. Stretching approximately 195 miles (314 km) north to south through the Sierra Nevada, it is a … If you want to shuttle it, what you would do is leave your car in Visalia and take the Sequoia Shuttle. This is the option we ended up going with. With lodging and meals provided by the camps, the only essentials a hiker needs to pack are water bottles, a jacket, a poncho and a First Aid kit — though some hikers load up with toiletries, extra clothes and shoes that can add 20 pounds. Karen Kelley, 70, and her husband, Kalon, 68, both experienced hikers from Santa Barbara, Calif., walked a challenging 30-mile loop from Tuolumne Meadows to rendezvous at the Sunrise camp with their son from Sacramento, who hiked eight miles straight uphill from Tenaya Lake with his wife and two boys, 6 and 3. “I’m more ‘Take me to the local Hilton’ for a vacation or ‘Let’s go on a cruise.’ ”. The High Sierra Trail also ended up being my first thru-hike, my longest backpacking … For the Kelley family, the Sunrise camp was the perfect spot for a family reunion. To encourage visitors to venture into the mountains, the first of five High Sierra Camps was constructed by the National Park Service in 1916 and the last completed in 1961. The nightly cost per person this year was $136 a person for lodging and two meals, with the option of buying a sack lunch for the trail. 2. A steep climb through a lush grove of lodgepole pines would suddenly yield to an aerial view of Yosemite Valley’s landmark domes glinting in the sunshine. In four days of hiking, a single Band-Aid wrapper was the only piece of trash I saw on the trail. RESERVATIONS at the five High Sierra Camps in Yosemite are awarded by lottery, with an entry deadline of Nov. 30. The existence of the High Sierra Trail is the direct result of a, rather significant, expansion of Sequoia National Park in 1926, nearly tripling its, previously protected, acreage. Relieved of carrying heavy gear (which these days includes bear-proof canisters mandated by the National Park Service), hikers can enjoy the scenery by day and avoid pitching camp at night. 3. It was completed in the late 1920s / early 1930s. The High Sierra Trail begins at Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park then heads up the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, past the majestic beauty of Hamilton and Precipice Lakes, and … Reservations are required and round trip tickets are $15 per person (includes the $25 cost of entrance into the park). Since we were hiking from West to East, we took an entire day before the trip to set up our car shuttle. This means coordinating with another group that is hiking the trail the opposite way. Showers usually provided at the Sunrise camp were eliminated in early August this year because of a drought. Free standard ground shipping when you meet the minimum order amount indicated, before taxes and shipping charges. Early in the season is the best time for blooming wildflowers — but also mosquitoes. Or a vast alpine meadow ringed by snow-capped mountains would unexpectedly surrender a pristine lake tempting us to extend our lunch break. These shuttles run from 8AM-6:30PM, but be sure to check the departure times to plan accordingly. Only about 5 percent of the 3.2 million visitors to Yosemite each year leave the crowded valley floor with its famous waterfalls to explore the stunning wilderness miles from any road and accessible only by foot or mule. The whole 72 miles, West to East across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, that make up the High Sierra Trail. The trail crosses the Sierra Nevada from west to east. The Zebra Slot Canyon is one of my favorite hikes in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. As would happen time and again, we moved along thinking the best was behind us, only to be wowed by yet another marvel. The trail starts at Crescent Meadow, near Visalia, California, crosses over the Great Western Divide, goes up Kern Canyon, then joins up with the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail at Wallace Creek. Whitney. Except for ‘hutting’ in the Swiss Alps, I don’t think there’s anything quite like this in the world.”, During his most recent expedition in August, he packed in “a liter of Jim Beam” and stayed an extra couple days at each camp to either relax or take day trips to remote areas “not even shown on trail maps.”. The hike depicted in the documentary, which involved taking a 2.5-mile spur … This famous hike crosses some of the … Whitney and Whitney Portal on the eastern slope. The High Sierra trail, within Sequoia, starts in Crescent Meadows, which is home to three of the five largest trees in the world. Obviously this game plan relies on you placing a whole lot of faith in the other group following through and entrusting them with your car, so ideally they are another group of friends you are familiar with, or an acquaintance from online forums like High Sierra Topix or Backpacking Light. The difference this time was that he stopped overnight at several mountain way stations — rustic camps nestled along a brook, or a lake, or a meadow that provide hikers with good meals, clean drinking water, bathrooms and beds with plenty of blankets in cozy canvas tents with wood-burning stoves. If you're lucky enough, you'll be able to find a group where two people will be willing to drive their cars and leave them at the start and finish of the trail for about a week. When you find yourself at Whitney Portal at the end of your trip, you can either hitchhike or hire a shuttle to get from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine, which is about a 20 minute drive down the mountain. The red, smooth, striped walls make for unique photo opportunities. Steak is featured at all the camps on Saturday evening. From the … Mr. Bullock said the summer skies are amazing at the Vogelsang camp, at 10,300 feet, where winters bring as much as 30 feet of snow. From there the HST … Bear Boxes in High Sierra Trail (HS) Generated on 1 Oct 2020 - see revision history - please send updates to the webmaster. Purists have long decried their presence in the midst of John Muir’s pristine wilderness and denigrated their comforts. Plan & Go | High Sierra Trail is the ultimate guide to hiking the 72-mile route from the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park to Whitney Portal at the base of Mt. “You have never seen the Milky Way until you’ve been there.”. It starts at Crescent Meadow on the western Sierra, and ends on top of Mt Whitney after meeting up with the John Muir Trail. For example, the East Side Sierra Shuttle would have been $35 per person if we booked with the three of us, and that cost would go down the more people in your group. Mr. Garretson, 65, recalled that in his youth, he dreaded going uphill, but discovered during his recent trip that downhill was harder on his aging knees, especially the 3,000-foot descent from the Vogelsang camp to the one at Merced Lake. Another solution that is commonly recommended for through-hikers is to set up a key swap. Here you'll find blog posts about some of my favorite backpacking and travel adventures. On Saturday morning, we drove 7.5 hours from the Bay Area, CA to Whitney Portal, dropped off one car there, and then drove 4 hours to our hotel in Visalia for the night. 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